Predators
by Just-Skye
Summary: It was possibly the worst mission Axel had ever been assigned. Three days with the ever-annoying Roxas in the Pride Lands. However, when the mission hits a snag, and it leaves Roxas depending on Axel, will Axel change his opinion of the 'Key of Destiny'
1. Extinction

**Predators - Extinction**

**Disclaimer** - I own none of the characters, unless otherwise mentioned, and they therefore belong to Square Enix and Disney. Sweet, simple, to the point.

Actually, this was an idea I came up with last night, and typed this all today. I actually know what I'm doing with this though, so updates should be close together for a while at least. This one will be pretty long, and have some pretty cool vocabulary in it, so a dictionary might be something you want to have handy. (and, would you look at that, they actually have a dictionary on the site! D) Anyways, the setting is before Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, so some of the characters will seem almost out of character, but hopefully not too much. I needed to change a few things for the sake of the plot.

Also, the new chapter of "Broken Words" will be up soon!

* * *

"Ugh! You _have_ to be kidding me! I hate that place!" The redhead howled as he slammed the letter down on his dresser. "Why me? Why is it _always me?_" Axel hated the Pride lands like none other. Yet, he received he most missions there out of the whole organization. "I swear, sometimes, i think they want me to go insane."

He fell back onto his bed and glared at the ceiling. If anything could change the situation that Axel was in, it would be his ceiling. Right.

Worst of all, was that he had to go with that stuck up jerk of a kid, Roxas. He was almost as bad as Larxene, and in some cases worse. It was like the kid had no morals for behavior or respect. And if it was the Pride lands that they would be stuck together in, it was only going to be worse.

As it was explained to him when he first joined the organization, the illusion of having emotions was caused by memories left behind when someone lost their heart. A nobodies sub-conscience would compare the emotions from a similar situation of the somebody's to the current situation, and apply the memory of the emotions.

If that was the case, then Roxas would be getting on Axel's last nerves if he had any. He rolled over to bury his face in the blankets on the end of his bed. Three whole days. Alone. With Roxas. It was like his worst nightmare come true.

A knock came on his door. Axel didn't bother to get up. He gave a muffled "It's open."

"Hey Axel. What was all that screaming about?" a rather curious Demyx inquired, half stepping into the room. "I could hear it across the hall." Demyx had the room that was on the opposite side of the hallway.

He was an all-around weird guy to Axel. He was quiet, except for when he was playing his sitar. He didn't speak unless spoken to most of the time, though you couldn't surmise once he was actually talking; and kept to himself. However, if you offended him, there were three reactions that could be expected. Demyx could brush it off, ignore you for the rest of the day, and deny one's nonexistence; Argue until he stormed off, and if he came across the offender, simply glare and leave the room. However, if one was so unfortunate as to seriously insult him, the water mage would walk away until he reached corner, turn down it, and once he had, the offender would be barraged with water.

Axel gave another muffled muttering that couldn't be deciphered, and lifted his arm to point at the aggrieving piece of paper. Demyx shrugged and sauntered over to the seemingly guiltless paper, and lifted it to read the slightly crumpled script. He spent a moment examining the mission's overview, and realized why Axel was so unhappy. A mission with Roxas? That _was_ something to be unhappy about. He was an ostentatious and scornful teenager, who was as lordly as Xemnas himself. Roxas thought of mission partners as nothing more than a hindrance, and was always critical of his unfortunate partners.

And in the Pride lands no less! If Roxas complained on a regular basis, he complained ten times as much in the Pride lands. Demyx and Zexion had once been sent to the Pride lands on a scouting mission with the teen, and all that was heard out of the cub were complaints. Even Zexion, a rather serious guy, suggested leaving the annoyance to the hyenas in the elephant graveyard. An added bonus, as if one were needed, the young blond had next to no balance on four legs.

"Ouch... three days with Roxas. That's like a death sentence." Demyx shook his head as he replaced the paper. "Sorry, man. Good luck.

"I know! As if the little brat doesn't already try to kill me, now he's going to drive me to extinction!" Axel propped himself on his elbow, gesturing widely with his free hand. "Being un-dead just gets more and more fun, doesn't it?"

* * *

Anyways, I hope you like it! Please review and let me know what you think of it so far! ) Constructive advice is appreciated and used to make better stories!!


	2. Trophic Levels

**Predators  
Chapter 2  
Trophic Levels**

**Disclaimer**: I own none of the characters, unless otherwise mentioned, and they therefore belong to Square Enix and Disney. Sweet, simple, to the point.

Anyways, here's the new update! This time we follow Roxas as he gives his side of the story! I warn you now, you will **_need_** your dictionary with this one. I certainly used mine! Anyways, I've decided that each chapter title will not only relate to the chapter, but to the topic of 'Predators' in general. If you need help with terms, go to wikipedia. That's where I'll be getting most of the terms.

Just remember that this takes place before 'Chain of Memories', so the characters might seem out of character a bit!

* * *

Roxas fumed. He couldn't stand ten minutes with that airhead, let alone three days! Who did they think he was, the grand master of Patience? That lanky buffoon was like a walking temper tantrum! He was always either mad or sulking, and the littlest thing set him off.

He made his way past the large doors until he reached the fourth one on the left in the main corridor. This brought him to a much narrower hallway, with a plain black door at the end. It was hardly used, but was there as a way to bypass the hallway and whoevershould happen to be in there.

Stepping into the industrial sized kitchen, Roxas headed for the pantry. The food closet held enough to feed the entire group for an entire month, and had every sort of ingredient, from the weird to the rare. The blond made his way to a glass doored cooler in the back. Knowing exactly what he wanted, he found it, and slammed the panty door on the way out.

Stalking over to a cupboard, Roxas pulled out one of the short, square glass. He filled that with ice and turned to find Saix sitting at the island, watching him with a quizical look. Ignoring the look he was recieving, Roxas set the glass on the black granite and sat on the opposite stool.

"Aren't you a little young to be drinking that?" The blue haired man quried.

"Oh, shut it." Roxas grumbled, twisting the cap off of the bottle. "It's not like anyone's going to enforce that here."

Normally, Saix would have mentioned something about respecting his superiors and possibly lost his temper. However, after spending the day listening to Vexen rant about the very same topic all day while the scarred man cleaned the lab, Saix simply felt like slapping Xemnas just for the heck of it. Respect could go to hell for all he cared at the moment.

"So," the older man began, pausing to take a drink, not reacting to the potency of the straight vodka "What's gotten you into such a rightfully foul mood?" He watched the under-aged blond with a raised blue eyebrow.

"I can sum it up into _eight_ words." This time he took a longer swig. "Three days in the Pride lands with _Axel_." Roxas pulled a folded piece of parchment from his left coat pocket and handed it to the diviner.

Saix looked over the mission description and requirements. Indeed, the newest member of their dysfunctional family was going on an extended vacation with the fire weilder. The man himself had no issues with Axel, though he had heard that he often exhibited an amount of recalcitrance that other members found plaugesome.

"Why would you hate Axel so much? I can understand why you wouldn't like the Pride lands, I hate the place myself, but what about Axel has you drinking one of the strongest alcohols we have?"

Roxas finished his glass and set to playing with it in his hands. He hadn't had that much to begin with, but he already felt more relaxed. That's why he preferred having Luxord on shopping duty. He always knew how to get the best liquor. He didn't drink often, but when he did, Roxas wanted something strong.

"Axel happens to be the most self-centered, _vile_, cantankerous person I have ever had the _displeasure_ of coming in contact with. His temper is as horrible as a _four-year-old's_ on sugar that missed their nap! That and he has _no_ mastery of his element! He may be able to _control_ it, but it's a mediocre manipulation at best! He's had this malignant attitude towards me ever since he met me, like I was some vulgar plebeian who isn't worth the dirt I stand on!" By this time, Roxas had filled his glass again, though only with enough to knock back in a gulp or two, ignoring the sting.

"Well, there isn't much I can do or say that'll help you with your issues with our beloved number eight, but if he continues to bother you about your reputation or your rank, go ahead and pick a fight with him. Stand up for yourself and try to alter the pecking order. He might just come to respect you." Saix turned to leave, taking his glass and the bottle from where it sat dutifully in front of the slightly squiffy teen. "Just don't be late to leave. That'll be sure to set off his temper." and the dining room door swung shut.

Roxas only tilted the glass so an ice cube fell into his mouth, and shook his head. Like Axel would ever stop being a preponderant jerk? Not likely.

* * *

"Are you ready to go?" The rather bored but reluctant redhead uttered, not looking at the blond as he approached.

"As if you care." Roxas growled indignantly.

"I'll take that as a yes. The first stop is the..." Axel halted when he noticed a strong, rather familiar odor hanging in the air near the teen. He finally turned to the teen and sniffed lightly. "Roxas... Were you _drinking_?"

* * *

That Night, as the rest of the organization sat in the large dining hall, Saix couldn't help but lean over to ask something of their superior.

"Sir, if you don't mind me asking, why did you send numbers eight and thirteen to the Pride lands together? You know as well as I that they dispise each other." the curious azul haired man wondered.

"The answer is actually quite simple." Xemnas set down his goblet, and replaced a stray piece of hair that rested on his nose. "They now have three days of male bonding to settle out whatever differences they seem to think are worth beating each other's brains out over, and we get three days of peace and quiet here."

"So you just wanted them out of the castle?"

"Exactly."

Oh, don't we just _love_ that Xemnas? Can't say I blame him though! It's loud enough in such a _tiny_ castle without all that extra fighting!  
Actually, there was a part in there where i just couldn't decide what word to use. When I was trying to find a word to replace 'drunk', I came across two words that just sent me into fits of giggles. 'Crapulous' and 'squiffy'. Squiffy won. It sounded like more fun!  
Anyways, please enjoy, read, and review! Reviews and suggestions will be used to bake inspiration cookies! (low fat, low sodium, sugar free inspiration cookies, which means I can eat them! Yay cookies!)


	3. Mobbing Behavior

**Predators  
Chapter 3  
Mobbing Behaviors**

**Disclaimer**: I own none of the characters, unless otherwise mentioned, and they therefore belong to Square Enix and Disney. _Sweet, simple, to the point._

Sorry 'bout that wait! I've had absolutely no time because of marching band practice. But hey! I survived! I'm working on updating some things this week, but probably not tomorrow. Stupid freshman orientation. I have to be there for a whole _four hours_!  
Anyways, with this new chapter, we don't necessarily follow one of the characters specifically, as they're both together, though we do seem to concentrate more on Axel. I'm not exactly happy about how _clueless_ Axel seems about where he is though. Anyways, I enjoy this chapter a lot, even if it doesn't look _exactly_ like I wanted. I might revise it later if I find a better way to word it.  
Like always, keep a dictionary on hand, and wikipedia is helpful if you don't understand the chapter title! Enjoy!

Oh! And _a more mature rating for this chapter due to a rather unsightly case of 'Foul language'!_

* * *

"Jeez, I _hate_ it here. Even _I_ hate this heat. And where the hell are we anyways?" Axel complained as he stepped over yet another huge bone.

"Oh, I can only _guess_. The _elephant_ _skull_ we saw two minutes ago _just adds_ to the _mystery_!" Sarcasm bit deeply into each of the sand colored cub's words as he batted a bone out of his path for emphasis.

"Well then why don't you find us a way out, _oh dapper one_?" Axel sighed in mounting vexation, stopping to look at the little fleabag that he was stuck with. They'd been wandering through this stupid bone yard for more than three hours, and the sun had noticeably starting to sink to the west. Sunset could at most be three hours away.

Roxas growled as he faced the much taller male. Even here, he was much shorter than the jerk. He glared at the mocking jade eyes as he replied. "Fine. I could probably do a better job than you anyways. Stay here." He began to turn away from the deep auburn mane, planning to look from the top of one of the massive bone piles, but stopped and turned halfway to smirk "Or do you need a _constant_ babysitter?"

"That's **_IT_**!" Axel lunged at the much smaller lion, forgetting the situation at hand and the need to get out of the graveyard before sunset. "I have had it with you and your sassy little attitude!"

Roxas gave a startled yelp as he ducked to his left. He ran from spot to spot as Axel continued his pursuit. Eventually the blond found himself halfway up on the other side of one of the massive bone piles when a lose patch of bones shifted under his paw, and he found himself tumbling down the hill. The enraged redhead lunged at him just as he came to a stop. They were both sent tumbling down the agglomeration of remains. Axel landed on his feet at the bottom, however Roxas, having a complete lack of equilibrium, landed on his side, and had the wind knocked out of him.

Axel immediately took advantage of the expedient orientation, and pinned the younger to the dirt dusted ground with one paw. While the blond gasped with the sudden restriction, he gave a growl of frustration. "You are such pain in the _ass_! If you aren't bitching your head off, you're attacking _me_ with no incentive! What the _hell_ is _your problem_?"

"You!" Roxas gasped. "You are my problem! You look at me like I'm a pile of _dirt_, and you're such a moronic _jackass_ that I can't stand you!" He coughed, and felt a warm liquid bubble in the back of his throat.

As he continued to cough, Axel removed his paw from his companion's small side and turned aside in a stultified pacing. He just didn't understand the little brat. He might as well have been speaking a different language for all the sense he made! His angry thoughts shifted quickly from here to there, trying to calm himself down while retaining all of what had just happened. He stopped and turned to the blond that was still on the ground, only to find that he was still coughing. Now that was concerning. He hadn't pressed down on the cub very hard, only enough to hold him still to the ground. "Roxas?"

He only coughed more. "Hey." Now Axel lifted his paw and nudged Roxas' cheek a little. "You okay little man?"

Roxas lifted his head, coughed again, but this time a dark liquid flew out with the cough, and he fell back to the ground quietly. Axel's eyes widened in alarm. He immediately leaned down, and pressed his ear to the boy's side. The heartbeat was there, but slightly quicker than usual, and his breathing was deep, but raspy. The organ beat on, after the proverbial heart had been taken or lost, only to keep the remaining body alive. Axel looked to the liquid that had left Roxas' mouth. He sniffed at it lightly. It seemed like a mix of blood, alcohol, and bile.

"Wow man... " Axel shook his head and let out a small chortle. "You _really_ know how to drink, don't you?"

* * *

Axel made his way to the shade of one of the few trees. Their fight had actually brought them to the edge of the graveyard, and Axel had the displeasure of carrying an already hungover Roxas with his teeth. He lay the teen down on the grass, and then took a spot next to him. His breathing and heartbeat had returned to a normal, steady pace. The kid wasn't actually half bad to be around when he was knocked out. As he watched the blond sleep, he noticed the dried bile on the teen's face.

Unhappily, the redhead cleaned the sleeping teen's face with his tongue in a feline fashion. If the kid was going to get wasted like he was, then he at least deserved to be clean. Axel pulled Roxas closer to him, and stretched out for some rest though he kept his ears alert in case the kid woke up or started coughing again.

* * *

Axel woke on his own, yawning and pulling himself up so that he rested on his front paws in a relaxed way. He looked down at the blond who had now curled up into a loose ball by Axels side. the lanky adult would have immediately taken this as akward and slightly disturbing, if he hadn't noticed that it was now dark, and the tepature had dropped significantly. It was borderline chilled actually. He watched the blonds chest rise and fall slowly for a while, and let his eyes adjust to the lack of light.

After a few minutes, Axel judged that Roxas had at least slept off the worst of his hangover, and that they could still cover at least some ground before stopping again for some real sleep.

"Hey. Time to wake up, lazybones." Axel prodded Roxas with his nose, hoping to wake the small teen.

"Unhh... Huh?" Roxas murmured as he lifted his head. He took in his surroundings, wondering how he had gotten there.

"You had one nasty hangover there. You managed to cough until you got sick and conked out. You feel okay?"

"I guess..." Roxas sat up and looked around waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dark night blanketing the Savannah.

"Anyways, about earlier, I'm sorry. It was kind of uncalled for." Axel looked away like he was slightly ashamed, but sincere anyways.

"Nah, I sort of deserved it anyways." Roxas yawned, and sat up. "I kind of got carried away. Sorry. I guess not having a heart doesn't eliminate the stupid factor."

"Guess not." Axel smiled, shaking his head lightly. "We should get going."

"Going where?"

"Farther away from here. We didn't cover much ground earlier. And I've seen enough of the Pride Lands that I've made the executive decision not to stay here and observe them _yet again_. Got a problem with it, shorty?" This time Axel took care not to say it in an insulting way, but more like a nickname.

"No problem here. I hate this place anyways. You can't avoid running into those stupid hyenas."

"You can say that again. Ugh. Hyenas."

* * *

A short time later, the two found themselves in a rather familiar gorge, following it north, away from Pride Rock. Neither could quite say how they had ended up at the bottom of the canyon, only that it was, if possible, slightly colder at the bottom. Axel was about halfway through explaining why that could even be possible, and every so often Roxas would put in a question or two. Being only about 15, there actually wasn't too much that he understood about science.

"And because of the cliffs here, the air currents that actually carry warmer air don't flow down here so-"

"Wait, did you hear something?" Roxas interupted. He stopped in place, listening intently.

Axel did the same, only hearing the movement of something outside the canyon. "It's probably just something stupid enough to be wandering out alone at night."

"Oh, liiiiiiike... you?" Roxas smirked at the older male.

"You're killing me, smalls!" He laughed.

"Wait..." Roxas said again after Axel had quieted. "There it is again..."

"I hear it too." Axel seriously stopped and listened this time. It was shrill at first, but it revealed itself to be a laugh. A hyenas laugh. "_Creepy..._"

But then there was something else as well. It almost sounded like a low roll of thunder, but then he felt it rattle the ground as well. Roxas apparently felt it too, and backed up so that his back was to Axel. They both looked around, But Axel was the one who saw it first. It was like a black mass pouring over the side of the cliff from a turn in the gorge up ahead. It couldn't be heartless. They didn't make that much noise. He gasped when he realized what is was.

It was a huge _stampede_. And moving towards them _fast_.

"Run!" he shouted, though it was much too late to avoid the herd moving toward them. He immediately turned an ran the opposite direction, but Roxas froze in place for a second before turning and running after the much larger and faster lion.

Axel looked behind him and stopped dead when he saw how far behind Roxas was.

"_Move Kid!_" But it was too late. The cub disappeared within the stampede.

* * *

Ooooooooooh! Cliff hanger! And not only that, but a corny _cliff_ as well!  
As always, lemme know what you think, and celebratory inspiration cookies will be made! Who knows? They might be better than the last batch!


	4. Herbivores

**Predators  
Chapter 4  
Herbivores**

**Disclaimer**: I own none of the characters, unless otherwise mentioned, and they therefore belong to Square Enix and Disney. _Sweet, simple, to the point._

Oh dear. Look at the time. *tsk tsk* This is terribly late. - Sorry! Blame the extra-curricular system for a lack of time to do anything. Anyways, just a little heads up - THE FIRST WORD IS A CURSE WORD! As if you hadn't already looked. *winks* Anyways, thanks _SO MUCH_ to all of you that helped by reviewing! I really do appreciate it! And I do apologize for how short this chapter is. This is where I wanted it to get to, I drew it out as long as I could, and I feel like if I put any more in there, it would be too much. Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

"Shit!" Axel came to a halt and whipped around to face the oncoming stampede. He bolted toward it, fighting the urge to hesitate, for he knew he would lose face if he did. He ran between the forerunners of the herd, losing most of the sensitivity his senses usually had, a turbid dust obscuring almost everything. Though he had to keep watching to make sure he didn't collide with a maniac wildebeest, his eyes darted wildly, searching for even the smallest patch of blond.

Roxas ran near blindly, cold tendrils of fear raking themselves across his mind. he could only keep running and hope to avoid getting hit. His head whipping around wildly, he searched for a reprieve, but found none. Neither Axel nor an end to the stampede were in sight, and a sharp pain had begun winding it's way through his chest. He ran for what he knew to have been but a few short of twenty seconds but felt like forever when a rampant hoof hit him in the shoulder and felt like it shattered bone. Roxas yelped in agony and tumbled to the ground. He felt a cold rush run through his body, and he snapped his head up just in time to see a rock flying directly at him. He screamed, but was cut off almost immediately as they collided. His last thoughts were rushed and muddled, besides the simultaneous thoughts that Axel was a jerk, and that thirteen really was an unlucky number.

---

Axel's head seemed to turn as fast as it might if it'd been hit by a truck. The sound that pierced his eardrums sent what felt like an icepick into his ribs. He caught a glimpse of Roxas, but not a pleasant one. he saw the small teen's head impinge with a rock turned missile, then his view was cut off. He instantaneously turned towards him then, forgetting the current of the animals encompassing him, knocking down a wildebeest in his haste to reach the boy. He skid to a stop, standing protectively over the boy, and let out a roar that sent the wildebeest on paths around them instead of straight at them.

"Roxas . . ." He said quietly, a worried shock filling his head as he looked down at the boy. He just seemed so. . . fragile. That was never a word he'd use to describe Roxas before, but now he just looked so tiny and helpless. He had a gash on the edge of his shoulder, and another, deeper one on the side of his head; both bleeding, the latter more than the former. This worried Axel, though he wasn't ceratin how justified it was. Roxas was so small here. What if he bled to death? Opening a portal here was tricky at best, and required more effort than anywhere else because of the change of state.

Then he snapped his head up at an even more loud, panicked bleating than the rest of the discordant symphony of trampling hooves and panicked cries. Axel noticed the difference in the creature's eyes first. Even in the dim night, he could tell the beast was blind. . . and it was headed straight toward them.

He hurriedly gathered the unconscious cub into his mouth, cringing mentally as the teen gave a mewl of agony. He darted off to the side, hoping to reach the edge of the stampede, only a few yards away, but it was too late; the wildebeest seemed to be on a magnetized course straight towards them. It rammed Axel solidly in the middle of his elongated ribcage, knocking him down, and Roxas out of his jaws.

"No! Ro-!" But he was cut off as he was kicked near the base of his skull, rendering him unconscious.

---

When Axel was finally able to wrench his eyes open, it was slowly, and his vision was clouded. He lay there a moment until the most intense pounding in his the back of his head ceased. He began trying to focus his eyes. He happened to be facing the eastern end of the canyon, where Dawn's rose fingers were tickling the edge of the horizon. Then he remembered. He jumped up, ignoring all pain as he looked around, distraught.

Roxas was gone.

* * *

Well! What a way to end a chapter! Har-de-har-har! _Suspense._ Just the way _I_ like it.

I don't even think I need to ask for you guys to review... you guys are awesome enough to know what I want! The cold hard truth! What?! you think I can't **_HANDLE_** the truth?!?! Well, okay. You're entitled to your own opinion.  
PS: just wanted to clarify some things before I go:  
I chose the title because of the following sentence: "In some cases the prey organism may die in the mouth or digestive system of the predator." Not sure if anyone else gets my weird logic, but that's okay. At least one of us gets it!  
No, Axel couldn't have roared again to get the wildebeest to change course.  
And no, Roxas couldn't have just moved his head to dodge the rock. It was a big rock. I think.


	5. Survival Instinct

**Predators  
Chapter 5  
Survival Instinct**

**Disclaimer**: I own none of the characters, unless otherwise mentioned, and they therefore belong to Square Enix and Disney. _Sweet, simple, to the point._

Okay, I waffled. I felt awful. I was a waffler, and wafflers waffle. And that's how it went down. I knew what I wanted this to be, I just didn't know how to format it. Do I do it this way or that way? I must have changed my mind at least 42 times. My song of inspiration? Broken, by Tears for Fears. Awesome song, indeed. It was mostly the second stanza that embodied this chapter. Anyways, thank you for all the amazing reviews, alerts, and watches! Has anyone told you people lately that you're amazing? Well, you are.

* * *

'Ugh... where..?'

_Run._

'What....'

_RUN._

'Wh-'

_**RUN.**_

His eyes snapped open, upon an unknown voice's demand. Looking around without moving, he didn't know where he was. All he could tell was that he was on the ground, facing a large stone wall. A cliff maybe? Who knew. He sure didn't.

_Get up._

Annoying voice. What in the world was that annoying voice? Now wasn't the time to question that though. Best to do what it said. No better ideas. He slowly started moving his different body parts, practically feeling the bruises that would be forming underneath his skin. Paw. Tail. Ears. Head. Oooh, head. It felt like there was a split running rampant courses from the base of his skull to his brow line, a thick pounding in his ears covering any other sounds that might have held any significance to him.

_Move. Now._

He tried to raise himself from the ground, but screamed when he tried to move his front left leg. Fire streamed through muscles and danced on bones. Shattered.

_Danger. Panic. Escape._

Smart Voice. Whatever had happened, he obviously wouldn't have brought this upon himself. Something had to have done this to him. He needed to get out of there before any more harm could befall. Trying his hardest not to move his injured limb, he rose unsteadily. Buckling, he hit his leg on a rock nearby the cliff, and snarled in pain. He turned from the offending wall.

_Threat. Run._

Lying in front of him was a great burgundy lion. It didn't move. It lay on it's side, eyes closed, chest moving slowly. An uneven dent adorned it's side, indicating some sort of injury. Air hissed though bared teeth as an indication to pain. Or aggression. It scared him.

_**RUN.**_

He ran. He listened to the voice, turned, and ran. Out of the gorge. Onto the plain. Far away. Past the patches of trees. Where ever, whichever way the voice told him to go, he went. He ran, adrenaline over riding the pain until a new light touched the sky. Running as much as could be allowed with a practically bum leg, a limp invaded his three legged movement. He eventually slowed, the warm liquid life trickling down his leg through the cracks in dried blood. He couldn't think, and his throat was parched. An ache that had the essence of a dead weight covered his body.

_Rest. Now._

Demanding voice. He didn't question it. He did as it told and collapsed onto his right side exhaustedly. He lay for a while. Eyes closed and slowly relaxing, his thoughts slowly started flowing again. Simple things at first. How did he get hurt, and how badly was he hurt? He tried moving different body parts. Paw. Tail. Ears. He hurt terribly. Where was he, where had the voice taken him? He had no ideas. Who was that other lion? Had he really been a threat? Or could he have been an ally? He supposed it didn't matter now, it was long behind him. And what was going to happen to him now?

_._

Silence. The voice was gone. And so was something else. Something important.

Who was he?

* * *

Okay, my community service message is gone. And a new message in it's place!  
Thank you SO MUCH for your patience! I really do appreciate it. I intentionally made this short, though I wish I could have given you guys a longer chapter. I promise the next one is longer. It's sitting on my desk right now, half way done. The wait will be no where NEAR as log as it was for this chapter. Not as much fun vocab on this one though. Le sigh.  
By the way, if you're wondering, I counted. I used a combination of the words He/him/his/himself a grand total of **57** times. That's a lot.


	6. Critical Distance

**Predators  
Chapter six  
Critical Distance**

**Disclaimer**: I own none of the characters, unless otherwise mentioned, and they therefore belong to Square Enix and Disney. _Sweet, simple, to the point._

Hey, this is late..... obviously. I was swamped with projects in school and so this had to be moved to the back burner. Never the less, here it is, chapter six! I would once again like to thank Wikipedia, for otherwise I would have no chapter titles, and beyond that, probably no story! You probably won't need the dictionary for this one, and I hang my head in shame for that. Please enjoy and review!

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_Drip. Drip. Drip._

"Ungh...... where am I?" the young lion opened his eyes to a darkened sky and rain pouring over the savanna. Every few seconds, a stray drip would fall from the overhead branches of a tree. He laid there for a few moments, blankly staring at a few rather tropical looking trees beyond his, a jungle even. There even seemed to be a mountain or two reaching towards the unforgiving grey clouds blanketing the land.

He could stay here, the boy thought. Since it was unlikely that there were many predators here, he could scavenge until he healed. A hunt would definitely be impossible. Had he... Had he actually ever been on a hunt before? How did you hunt, anyways? ... No. He couldn't stay here. There were too many unknowns. What if that other lion found him? Caught up to him? Would he hurt him? Or help him? The risk wasn't worth the possible bounty.

Muscles trembling as the rain trickled to a stop, the young lion tried to pull him self on to his feet. He fell back to the ground as tired and abused joints gave in. It was a brutal attack on his morale, but he tried once more without much luck.

"I'm never going to get out of here, am I?" He said; his will to carry on leaving his body in waves. A despair that ground into his heart and brought tears to his eyes threatened to ground him to the spot.

_ 'Get going.'_

"Who said that?" the boy's head snapped up, looking around for the source of the voice. That voice...... it was not his, but it sounded..... familiar. Like he'd heard it before.... but he couldn't have. He didn't recall anything prior to waking up in the canyon.

He tried again to stand, this time managing to maintain his balance. Turning away from the tree, he faced the direction he thought to be west. A few tentative steps at a time, he made a slow progress until he was certain the world wouldn't fall out from under him. A few hours later, closer to the mountains but still on the outskirts of the trees, he sat and watched a few birds fly overhead. Suddenly though, they changed course sharply. His brow crumpled as he puzzled this. Then he found it. The wind had changed. He was now downwind of something.... pungent to say the least. The humidity also changed because of the mountain of in the distance. He stood again sniffing the breeze. It was.... kind of disgusting.

He padded toward the scent, careful to stay hidden in the sparse patches of tall grass. Suddenly frozen, the boy stared blankly into the grass mere centimeters from his nose. He swore he saw a flash of blue, just in front of his eyes. Wait.... there it was again, but this time larger, more opaque... Crouching, he tensed out of fear.

Then, the blue color overwhelmed him, in his thoughts, before his eyes, and, if possible, it sat on his tongue, a taste to represent a color. As if to confuse the poor creature more, he once again heard a voice, thought this time different, a new accent, a new voice... and new words.

_'Why would you hate A--- so much?'_ The name... what was that name?! He felt like he should know it by heart, so why did it have to be so messed up?!

_'I can sum it up into eight words.'_ Was that.... his voice? It sounded like him, but... different.... he didn't actually say that did he? _'...the most self centered, vile, cantankerous...'_ and the voice faded again. Was he really that rude? He sounded horrible. Maybe he deserved whatever had happened to him...

Suddenly the color changed. From a dark, brooding blue, to a sienna red, a certain spiciness filling his senses.

_ 'Are you ready to go?'_ That voice.... it was the same as the one from earlier... but who did it belong to?

_ 'As if you care.'_ A bit bratty on his part.

_ 'I'll take that as a yes.'_ And it was silent. The voices had stopped. What had that been? An actual memory, or an imagination gone out of kilter? Either way, none of these new voices were one that had guided him earlier. Nothing especially helpful in finding out whom or where he was supposed to be. He opened his eyes, and found himself on the ground. Had he fallen? He couldn't remember. He'd been too focused on the voices. He sat for a moment and looked around. He was still in the grasses, so at least he was safe from being spotted. He got up again, pleased to find that the pain in his shoulder had settled to a dull roar.

Walking again, he found the scent to be stronger, and slightly appetizing, despite the disgusting front. His empty stomach gurgled in protest to being ignored for so long, a knot forming just below his chest. Also, the ground was softer. A welcome change, considering how sore the boy's paws were. Before he could register it completely, he was surrounded by small hills.

He went around one of the numerous hills and found himself looking up at a large boulder, and stopped. It was large, and an odd grayish purple color. Before he could truly study this new scenery addition, layer upon layer his vision began changing, new shapes forming. Before him, the rock had maintained it's shades of grey and purple, but it's composition had changed completely. The rock was no longer a rock, but rather a mountain of bones; and not just one pile, but many. He fought the urge to close his eyes and dispel the vision, and tried to lift away the last bit of haze of the.... memory. Slowly, he began hearing voices, mumbling at first, then stronger, actual words.

'Well, then why don't you find us a way out.....?'

_ 'Fine. I could probably do a better job than you anyways.'_ his own voice again... Did he really have such horrible relations with this person?

_ 'I have had it with you and your sassy little attitude!'_ He was apparently a catalyst for tempers. _'What the hell is your problem?'_

_ 'You! You are my problem! you look at me like a I'm a pile of dirt, and you're such a moronic jackass that I can't stand you!'_ It was starting to sound like he wasn't the only one being uncivil to the other. It sounded as if they were generally unkind to each other, whoever they were, and one happening to be him. Or at least, who he was.

_ 'Hey.'_ This was much clearer than everything else. _'You okay little man?'_

He blinked and shook his head rapidly, with a resulting throbbing in his head.

"Are you okay kid? You had me worried for a minute there."

Focusing, before him was a small creature, tan in color, with cautiously curious eyes. He looked strangely familiar, though the boy couldn't put his mind on exactly where. After a second, he was able to identify the creature as a meerkat, but the feeling of familiarity still nagged him. He tried to ignore it.

"I think so... where am I?" he looked around. He was still by the bones.... er, boulder. His head must have been hit harder than he originally perceived. Even his thoughts were muddled and confusing.

"Well, that's a hard question to answer. This place is technically called Hakuna Matada." He stated mildly, looking down at a piece of grass he held. "As for where that is, who cares!" He threw the grass behind him and laughed. After he calmed down slightly, he wiped his eye and looked at the blond cub. "So, where ya from?"

"Um... I... uh...."

"Eh, forget it. I'm a gossip anyways." He started walking in towards the inner part of the jungle, motioning for him to follow. "Well, where ever you came from, it looks like you were in a bit of a scrape! Let's clean you up; you don't want to get infected!"

"Hey!" the cub turned his head to find that a warthog was lackadaisically running toward them. "Timon!"

"Well, now you know my name!" Timon laughed.

"Hey! Who's the kid?"

"Why Pumbaa, this here's my new best friend!" He joked, leaning on the lion's good shoulder.

"Really? Looks kinda dangerous to me."

"Eh, details, details. Say, have you seen Simba?"

"Nah, he ran off again." Pumbaa tagged along as they began moving again.

"Oi!" Timon sighed, pulling his paw down his face. "That boy gives me migraines! You think he'd be past this stage already!"

"So, where ya headed?"

"To wash Rambo here so that he doesn't get infected." Timon jerked his thumb at the slightly confused boy.

"Oh!" Pumbaa said excitedly. "That reminds me of this one time, I got this_ really _bad infection and I got these huge-!"

"Pumbaa! Not in front of the kid!"

-----

A While later, the young boy sat listening to Timon and Pumbaa talk, obvious long time friends. They'd helped clean him, and put some simple herbs, which he could surprisingly identify, on his wounds. He sat, listening quietly as they told him about something called 'bowling for buzzards'. He'd tried to listen attentively, but his thoughts would occasionally swerve to other things.

"By the way kid," Timon paused, throwing another one of the grubs into his mouth. "I don't think I ever caught your name. What is it again?"

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Well, thanks for reading! Reviews will help me survive exam week and get me back here faster!

_**IMPORTANT!:**_  
Um.... I know this is a little late, but I just noticed a MAJOR oops in chapter 2..... There's a whole CHUNK missing out of it! Please bear with me until I can find the missing part. I've already searched the Mac and the PC, plus both of my thumb drives, and I can't seem to find it. It makes some mild sense without the part I wanted, but I'd much rather have it there. I'll let you know when it's been edited in the summary, and in here.


	7. Optimal Foraging

**Predators  
Optimal Foraging  
Chapter 7**

**Disclaimer**: I own none of the characters, unless otherwise mentioned, and they therefore belong to Square Enix and Disney. _Sweet, simple, to the point._

*EDIT* I put up a poll about this fic on my profile.... go look at it!!!! PLEASE!!!!!

Hey, this is fairly early. That's good, right? Anyways, I know this isn't the longest chapter in the world, but I think I covered what I wanted to in it. Still looking for that missing piece. At this rate, I will probably end up rewriting it..... not fun. It delays the other things I need to do. Anyways, after having a good friend of mine look at it and help with some technical issues, I present chapter seven. Enjoy!

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"Shit." The scent was getting weaker. Axel didn't slow down though, pounding the ground with his paws as he struggled to keep track of the rather elusive trail. The scent was.... attached to the ground, which was the only way he could describe it. This meant Roxas either left of his own accord, or was dragged. Considering the teenager's injuries, he would have bet on the latter. However, if by some fluke Roxas had gone himself, he could catch up. It could've been only a couple of hours since he left. He couldn't have gone far considering his injuries, and he had no equilibrium besides. A rumble of thunder rolled across the savannah.

"Aw, come on! What the hell!" Axel ran faster, although nothing he could have done would have stopped the downpour racing towards him. He shivered as the brumal water soaked through his fur, chilled his skin, and fell into his ears. He growled as he shook his head, trying to remove some of the water from his now soaked mane. He ran a while longer, then stopped abruptly.  
The scent was gone.

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Axel stormed through the door, slamming it and not caring who heard. The communal bathroom hadn't been his original goal, but the cold water soaking him to the bone mixed with the mud that splattered the skin under his taut leather jacket made him feel utterly squalid right down to the core and uncomfortable in places he'd rather not think of.

"Hello, Axel."

He snarled as he turned his head to look at Marluxia. He had large pink curlers hanging from the tips of his multilayered hair. Wearing a long white silk bathrobe, he sat on one of the many countertops, a smirk on his delicately feral face. The curlers gave Axel a clue what time it was, as the Assassin always started doing his hair at 6:30 am sharp in the large bathroom. He preferred the castle's 'bath house', as it was frequently called, because of the slightly pink hue, as opposed to the stark white of the private bathrooms each member held domain over.

"Shut the hell up, Marluxia."

"Touchy, Touchy. Say, weren't you supposed to be in the Pride Lands baby-sitting the twerp?" He gracefully crossed one leg over the other, revealing a pair of comfy looking blue flannel bed pants.

"I said shut up!" He slammed the wooden door to one of the shower rooms, and then growled as he threw it open again.

"For all intents and purposes, I _am_ in the stinking Pride Lands. Secondly, the brat can take care of himself for one fucking hour. Lastly, you would have been running back screaming hours ago if your hair had gotten this messed up!" And he slammed the door again, leaving Marluxia with a stunned and horrified look on his face at the prospect of his hair in disarray.

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Axel didn't bother walking to his room, opting to just open a portal. He stepped into the dark confines of his room, flipped on the light, and looked around. He hadn't used any of them yet, but the six small bones incorporated into the intricate knot looked at him disdainfully, as if they knew of his intentions. Mind manipulations were not something he liked to use, but they were the only thing he could think of at the moment. The knot was to remind him of how risky his power was, if the wrong string was pulled, the whole knot would fall apart and he would have to spend hours remaking it. He'd hoped never to use any of the bones, but it was far too late to turn back now. A large white tooth fell into his hand as he pulled the last string.

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"Scar, I'm calling in a favor."

"Do you have the payment?"

"As the deal dictates." Axel flexed his paw and the tooth fell to the stone floor.

"You are aware that this will reduce my debt to you. I will no longer be bound to provide the pride's aid in battle unless it is done of my own free will or if you call another favor, at which point you shall then lose power over the hyenas."

"I am aware."

"Then proceed."

Axel had planned what he was going to say while he showered. It was a carefully planned favor. It needed to be something the traitorous lion would benefit from, else he try to exploit it on his own or find a loophole. "Recently, a young cub fell into my care, and I have grown rather.... attached, if you will. While we journeyed here to survey the land I have acquired from our aforementioned deal, he disappeared. Whether he ran or was captured by some foolish animal matters not, so long as I get back what is rightfully mine, alive." He turned from Scar to the entrance of the cave, letting his face lose all emotion. "As you have noticed, this does not directly involve you, nor should it. However, the plains are much too vast to search alone, and so I require assistance."

"So what would you ask of me? The hyenas are already at your disposal."

"The hyenas," He paused, and then sighed. "Are stupid, and unreliable at best. It is not within my power to fix stupid. However, lions are not. Tell me Scar, in every group, is there not one who wishes to incite rebellion? A 'black sheep', so to speak?"

"Indeed there is." One black brow rose, almost eager to hear for itself as the younger lion turned towards him.

"What I require, is a black sheep. I want someone you would not miss from your pride, but is able to track fairly well. I want them to search for the boy separately from myself. Beyond this, you can benefit. If they find the boy, they are to return here with him. However, if they do not, or I find him, they shall not be able to return to Pride Rock or contact your other lionesses. You'd be free from her meddling forever."

Scar looked thoughtful, obviously tempted by the bait laid out before him.

"Do you agree with the favor I ask of you?"

He was silent a moment, then nodded. "I do indeed. You may have Nala."

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Mind manipulations? Bones traded for favors?! Deals with scar?!?!  
All shall be revealed in due time! In the meantime, how about a review to help out your old pal?

*note* I do realize that in an earlier chapter I had said that it was tricky to open a portal in the pride lands, and I stand by that claim. There is always a certain amount of risk when opening a portal, as it obviously denies the laws of nature, space, and time. If done incorrectly, there are consequences. Axel is back in the castle because he was in a situation where he could focus on making the portal correctly, whereas during the stampede, he wasn't.  
Okay, bad cop over. Just didn't want someone to go off on a rampage about that......


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